Coming to Terms
by poeticgrace
Summary: A tragic accident brings true feelings to light. Nikolas/Brook and Kristina/Ethan.
1. Chapter 1

Two calls come in at once, reaching both ends of Port Charles and sending two men into a tailspin. While a sleek black limousine speeds toward General Hospital near the harbor, a vintage motorcycle hurls down back alleys in the vain hope to make it to the hospital before it's too late. There are other various relatives pacing around in the waiting room when they burst through the doors, their breaths short and their hearts pounding. Rushing past all the concerned parties in search of the doctor in charge, they reach Patrick Drake at the same time with only one question left to ask: "Is she okay?"

Nikolas Cassadine looked over at Ethan Lovett and shook his head. The two of them found themselves under the most unlikeliest of circumstances. There was no real reason for them to have anything in common outside their mutual family, but the two girls they happened to have fallen in love with were together when the skies opened up and poured out a terrible thunderstorm in the middle of an unsuspecting afternoon. Brook Lynn had gone to Greystone to visit Sonny, and Kristina just happened to be there for lunch. When she needed to get home to study for a test, Brook had volunteered to drop her off.

Patrick looked up from the stack of x-rays and charts with the sorriest look in his eyes imaginable. Tracey Quartermaine could be heard in the distance, loudly demanding that her granddaughter get the best care imaginable because of her prominent place on the GH Board. Alexis was sobbing softly in the corner, Jax's arms wrapped around her as he tried unsuccessfully to comfort his best friend. Nikolas looked briefly over at his aunt before looking at the doctor. It was all so surreal.

"Where is she?" was the only question that passed his lips as he looked up at Robin and Patrick. Robin's eyes were wet with tears. Whatever had happened was clearly bad, tragic enough that she couldn't find the words to tell him where she was. "Dammit, Robin, where is Brook?"

"Come on, Nikolas, I will take you back to her," Patrick said finally, reaching out to touch the man's forearm comfortingly. Nikolas wanted to recoil at his touch but could only focus on the heavy metal doors leading to the intensive care unit. He had spent far too many nights behind those doors holding vigil over the people that he loved. Brook Lynn would not be another person that he lost – not when he was just figuring out what she meant to him."

Ethan watched helplessly as Nikolas disappeared into the ICU in search of Brook before returning his gaze to Robin. "And Kristina?" he asked, his voice a harsh whisper. He tried to ignore the curious stares of Alexis, his siblings and even his own wife. He only knew that Kristina had been in a terrible accident, and the one word that she managed to say before slipping into a coma was his name. "Robin, please, you have to take me to her."

He could see Maya standing at the nurses' station in his peripheral vision but didn't as much as glance her way before following Robin along the same path Nikolas and Patrick had taken only a few moments before. "I'm going to warn you now, Ethan, it's pretty bad," Robin explained softly. "Sonny is in with her now. We're only allowing one visitor at a time, and you'll have to put on a face mask. The risk of infection is very high right now. It's supposed to be only family, but under the circumstances, Dr. Webber is going to allow it."

Ethan thanked her as he put on the sterile face mask and scrubs over his clothes. He could see Sonny hunched over next to Kristina's bedside, a helpless father clutching his only daughter's hand. He felt almost guilty for interrupting the private moment but knew that Kristina would want him there. Since hearing Alexis' tearful plea for him to come to the hospital, he had felt a distinct need to be near her. So much had happened over the past few months, with the bus crash and then the explosion at the wedding. Ethan had been her one constant throughout all of that, and he knew that she would need him to get through this again. He didn't want to really think about what all that meant right now. He just wanted to be with her.

"Excuse me, Sonny, do you mind if I sit with her for awhile?"

Sonny looked up from Kristina's lifeless form with tears shining in his dark eyes. He looked so vulnerable then, far from the intimidating mobster most of the world knew him to be. He was just a father waiting for his baby girl to wake up. Ethan couldn't relate to it in a paternal sense, but he knew that other than Alexis, there was no one who wanted to her to wake up as much right then and say something so completely innocent that he couldn't help but fall in love a little more. Kristina seemed to have that effect on people, or at least she had it on him.

Murmuring something to his daughter, Sonny stood up and brushed a kiss across her forehead before joining Ethan in the hallway. The two men stood side by side just watching her for a moment. "Do you know my daughter insists that she is in love with you?" Sonny asked, a small but fond smile on his face. "I mean, the thought of her loving anyone is a scary thought for a father, but Kristina is as fiercely independent and determined as her mother. She is so sure that you are her fate. There was a time when I could only focus on how old you were. I never really saw the way she looked at you, how genuine those feelings are."

"Your daughter is an amazing young woman," Ethan told Sonny honestly. "My life is pretty much a mess right now. I have a wife that I don't really love because we both wanted our share of a million dollars. I told myself, had completely convinced my stupid heart, that Kristina was too young for me. She is, I know. But the way she looks at me makes me believe that I can be the man she sees. I don't know what is going to happen. I just know that your daughter means the world to me. My life is better for having her in it. She's not alone in her feelings. I just don't really know what it all means."

Sonny could vaguely remembering feeling that confused about Brenda all those years ago, back when he was sure that he was completely wrong for her but somehow knew that their lives were clandestinely intertwined. "Just stay close by, okay? If she wakes up, get a doctor," he told the young Aussie. "Kristina is in a pretty fragile state right now. She wanted you here. Don't let her down."

Ethan tangled his fingers through his hair as he took the seat next to Kristina's bed and reached for her hand. It was warm but still, far from the usual tight-grip approach she took whenever he held her hand. "Oh, Krissy," he mused softly, reaching up with his free hand to push matted hair away from her forehead. She had a gaping wound that had been stitched up just above her left eyebrow and bruises along her right cheek bone that rivaled those left behind in Keifer's wake. It killed him to see her this broken again.

Meanwhile, Patrick had finished explaining the extensive list of internal injuries Brook Lynn had sustained when the car had been broadsided by an out-of-control truck on the country road just a few miles from Sonny's estate. "Things are really hanging in the balance," Patrick admitted. "We've done the best we can with surgery for now. I have no idea how long either of the girls are going to be out. We can only sit back and watch. Time will tell how successful we were."

Nikolas doesn't hear the rest of what the surgeon is telling him as he goes into Brook's room, surgical mask firmly in place. The hum of the monitors and the distinct smell of sanitizers inundates his senses, but the only thing he can focus on is the beautiful woman asleep in the bed. He wishes he really was Prince Charming then so that his kiss could wake her from the cruel spell. There are harsh rows of stitches all over her face from where the glass windshield had exploded onto her skin in a tiny storm of cuts. The most glaring cut is a two-inch gash across her throat, and Nikolas fears that could be a bad sign for her voice. He kissed each of her bruised knuckles and prayed for even the slightest reaction. When the only response is the sound of her breathing machine inhaling and exhaling, Nikolas closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the cool skin of her forearm.

They were supposed to be at dinner now, a rare night away from her recording in the home studio he had set up on the edge of the property, playing with Spencer before his bedtime or sitting on the porch and talking until the grandfather clock chimed at midnight, indicating the beginning of a new day. They had settled into an easy life of domesticity since deciding that their professional relationship had become personal in every sense of the word. Elizabeth had since unveiled the truth about Aiden's true paternity, and Nikolas knew that he wouldn't have made it through that devastating loss had it not been for Brook Lynn. She helped him focus on Spencer when he just wanted to give into his Cassadine tendencies.

Brook Lynn's fingers involuntarily flinched in Nikolas' hand, and he hoped for a moment that she was waking up. However, he knew that it was nothing more than a muscle spasm, and that she wouldn't likely gain consciousness for quite some time. They had given her enough medication to knock her out for awhile prior to the surgery, according to Patrick. The only person who had been allowed to come to see her besides him was Tracey. He wondered briefly if anyone had thought to call Lois and Ned. She might want to see her parents when she woke up. And then the beeping of her heart monitor brought him back to the room and reminded him that his would be the only face she would look for when she finally resurfaced.

"Nikolas, I'm sorry," came Maya Ward's voice from the door way. "I need to check Brook Lynn's vital signs. I am going to have to ask you to wait outside. Elizabeth is in with Kristina, so you can join Ethan in the small waiting room just down the hall."

He nodded and thanked her politely before heading toward the appointed waiting area. He found Ethan sitting in the corner chair, doubled over and clutching a paper cup of cheap hospital coffee. "How is she?" Nikolas asked about his cousin, only just now realizing that Kristina was hurt, too. It wasn't that it mattered less, it just hadn't really sunk in since he had been so focused on Brook.

"In a coma," Ethan said, and he winced because he heard that damn Smiths song flowing through his mind. "Robin says that it's actually a good thing. It gives her body the time it needs to heal." His answer comes without Ethan ever looking up. "How's Brook?"

"About the same," Nikolas answered. "I never thought I would be here again."

"At GH?"

"Waiting to hear news about the woman I love, to find out if she will live or die," Nikolas said. "I had vowed a long time ago never to do this, but here I am. After Emily and then Courtney and even Rebecca, I've been through this too many times. I thought stupidly Brook could be different."

"You love her?" Ethan asked in surprise. He knew that Nikolas had grown fond of Brook Lynn, but he had no idea that had transformed into love. "Does she know that?"

"I hope so," Nikolas replied honestly. "If she doesn't, I'm not leaving her side until she does." He scrubbed his hands over his face tiredly. "What about my cousin? Does she know?"

"Know what?"

"That you love her just as much as she loves you."

Ethan looked up at Nikolas then, offering a weak smile and a wry shrug. "Like you said, I won't leave here until she knows," he answered. "Then again, I just sort of figured it out myself."


	2. Chapter 2

Nikolas could still remember exactly when he knew that it was more than friendship or a professional working relationship when it came to Brook Lynn. It was during the winter, just before Valentine's Day, when Brook had so easily serenaded Jake's on an unusually busy night for the dive bar. They were on their way to the city for some much-needed fun when Elizabeth had shown up with some pointless reason to hold a conversation about Aiden. As the boy's father (or so he thought at the time), Nikolas knew that he would never be able to walk away without at least trying to figure out if there was a legitimate cause for a concern. Once he had seen clearly what was going on thanks to Brook Lynn, he had been able to enjoy the moment and her little performance. In a crowded room of many Port Charles residents, she had managed to make it feel like she was only singing for him.

On the way back to the launch that night, she had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder and her arm looped tightly through his. They had held hands for the first time when it meant more than escorting her into a room for a grand entrance or helping her out of a car. She had smiled sleepily when he had lifted her from the back of the limo and apologized for falling asleep on him despite the short drive from the bar to the boat. By the time they had reached Wyndamere, she had caught her second wind and was reenergized with all the excitement of a little girl on Christmas morning. They had spent the earliest hours of dawn that morning eating pancakes she made herself and drinking hot chocolate in front of the big picture window in the upstairs study. When she had reached across the table to wipe a bit of syrup from his cheek, he had caught her wrist and stared into her eyes for only the briefest of moments before whispering his thanks. It was then that he was pretty sure he had fallen in love with her.

A lot had happened in the weeks since that fateful night, a period that he knew he wouldn't have survived had it not been for her help. He had lost Aiden thanks to a cruel ploy by his grandmother. It was harder than he could ever put into words watching his brother take his rightful place as Aiden's father. Nikolas couldn't begrudge Lucky the opportunity to know his son, especially after everything that had happened that spring. Still, it didn't make it any easier to swallow. Brook kept him focused on Spencer and rebuilding the clinic he had all but abandoned after Nadine left town. Even if it was just talking all night about nothing, she found a way to help him cope. It would have been easier for him to give into his Cassadine ways, but she kept him grounded in the present and looking forward to the future.

Right now, he could really use one of those conversations. When things were tough, she was the person that he turned to these days. Alexis had her own problems to worry about, his friendship with Liz was still broken beyond repair, Lulu was sitting with Ethan and Lucky still hadn't shown up. Nikolas felt so undeniably alone, and the only person that could bring him out of it was the very reason for him being at the hospital in the first place. If only Patrick would show up with some good news or Robin would return with the slightest hint of a step in the right direction, Nikolas would be able to focus on that hope.

His cell phone rang from inside his coat pocket. He recognized the distinct tone as the one assigned to Wyndamere, meaning that the staff was likely checking on Brook. He was surprised to hear the voice of his young son on the other end of the line. After a moment, an apologetic Alfred came onto the line. Nikolas told his butler not to worry, that Spencer was welcome to call him any time, and asked to speak to his son again.

"Daddy, is Brook going to be okay?" he asked softly. Spencer had been in the room when Nikolas had gotten the call and had overheard the rushed explanation for his hasty departure as he dashed out the door. "Alfred said that she isn't feeling very good, so you have to be at the hospital with her. She was supposed to go with me to the library tomorrow for the puppet show. We were going to make cookies afterwards with Grandpa Mike at Kelly's. Do you think she'll be home by then?"

Nikolas' heart broke at the sound of Spencer's voice. He had grown quite attached to the brunette who had transformed their cold mausoleum of a house into a home once again. Spencer looked forward to his time with her, their weekly excursions around Port Charles just the two of them when he was dealing with business matters. For her part, Brook seemed to love the hours she spent with his son, padding around Spoon Island or reading in their pajamas in front of the fireplace while Nikolas worked. It was the first time he felt like he had a real family since losing Emily.

"Buddy, I don't think Brook is going to be able to take you tomorrow. Why don't I see if Aunt Lulu can take you to the library and then over to see Grandpa Mike? She was just telling me that she missed you," Nikolas suggested. "And then maybe, if she is feeling up to it, you can come by the hospital to visit Brook Lynn. I know that she would love to see you."

Maybe it was a curse to put such hope into the little boy's heart, but Nikolas wanted to believe that she would be awake by then. "Alright, I guess that will do, as long as you promise that I can come see Brook if she is feeling better," he negotiated, sounding more and more like a Cassadine by the day. "Alright, Alfred said that it is time for my French lesson. I will see you when you get home, Daddy. Love you!"

"Love you, too, buddy," Nikolas said before disconnecting the call. He pocketed his phone and headed toward the nurses' station in hopes of finding something out. He wasn't thrilled to see Elizabeth working behind the computer, but his discomfort for his former flame and once-friend was nothing compared to his need to find out about Brook Lynn. "Have you heard any updates on Kristina or Brook?"

"Patrick and Robin are working on Brook Lynn as we speak," she told him. "They should be able to give us a better picture of what her recovery process will look like once the exploratory procedure is complete. My brother is working on Kristina with Matt Hunter. They are trying to repair some extensive damage sustained to her collapsed lung. The surgery should taken at least another hour. I am sure that you will be updated accordingly as they know more."

Nikolas only nodded before returning to his chair. He glanced back at his old friend and noticed that she wore a sorry smile. They had both moved on, and she was happy with Lucky again. He was glad for it, even if it did make things uncomfortable. There had always been a strain between the Cassadine and Spencer families; this simply added another complicated layer. Just when he was about to return to his frantic pacing of the corridor outside Brook's room, Lucky appeared at his side with a cup of coffee. Nikolas nodded again, this time with a faint smile, and was glad that someone was finally there just for him.

Meanwhile, Ethan was only half-heartedly listening to Lulu ramble on about something they both knew he wouldn't care about on a good day. His sister just didn't know how to deal well with silence, and with Luke busy tending to a distraught Tracey, she had been put on Aussie duty. "Hey, Lu, do you mind giving me a minute?" he finally asked when she stopped mid-story and realized he hadn't said a word in nearly an hour. "I'm going to go for a walk, clear my head."

Lulu nodded as Ethan got up, patting her shoulder as he headed out of the waiting room and toward the double doors leading outside. He was surprised to find Molly curled up on the bench. Her small hands were clutching a small pink object Ethan recognized as Kristina's cell phone. "Hey, Mol," he greeted her softly, dropping hollowly on the bench next to the precocious girl. Molly tried to plaster a fake smile on her face, but the façade quickly fell away as she collapsed into Ethan's arms. Ethan gathered her up and hugged her tightly, resting his chin on the crown of her soft hair. She looked so much like her sister but was so completely different. The truth was that Ethan had fallen for the entire Davis clan when he had met Kristina. Sam was this kick-ass chick who didn't seem to be afraid of much, Alexis was savvy and sassy in a way most mothers couldn't pull off and Molly was this witty little genius who was wise beyond her years.

"Mom won't say it, but I know that it doesn't look good. I mean, do you think? The longer she is unconscious, the worst it is," Molly reasoned aloud, pulling back only to look up at Ethan. He wanted to lie to her, to tell her that everything was fine and that time was a good thing, but she was smart enough to see right through him. Besides, her questions didn't really warrant answers. It was just something she was trying to work out in her head. "Things were just finally getting good again. Kristina hasn't had a nightmare in weeks. She even started humming again in the mornings. I haven't heard her do that since before Keifer. It's not fair."

"No, it certainly is not," he agreed sadly. "But this isn't what Kristina would want us doing, crying on a bench and worrying. Your sister is a survivor, Molly. She is part Cassadine and part Corinthos. From what I've seen, that is some serious DNA. She's already been through so much. She isn't about to let some stupid car wreck get the best of her. I have complete confidence that she is going to wake up from this. She wouldn't leave us here hanging when things were just starting to get interesting again."

Molly smiled thoughtfully and tried her best to put on a brave face. "Now I see what Kristina sees in you," she teased him. It was no secret that the young romantic hoped that her sister would enter into some star-crossed lovers scenario with Ethan. She thrived on things that only existed in romance novels, and while she had liked Taylor just fine, she had not-so-secretly rooted for the Australian Spencer all along. "Too bad you're married, huh?"

"Yes, too bad," he smiled, ducking his head and rubbing the back of his neck nervously. Molly had a knack for drawing attention to the things that people wanted to ignore most. "But either way, you know that I care deeply for your sister. She has long meant a lot to me, and I value the relationship that I have with her. There are a lot of things that I need to tell Kristina, and I can't wait to have that much overdue conversation with her."

"Things like you love her?"

"Things that I think she should hear first," he replied with a wink. "Besides, I think the whole story will be much better coming from your sister. Isn't that what you girls like to do, gossip about us men? Kristina would kill us both if I deprived her of that opportunity."

"Thanks for trying to cheer me up," Molly said as Alexis came outside. "Looking for me?"

"Actually, no, I wanted to speak with Ethan. Why don't you go in and keep your sister company?" Alexis told Molly, stooping to hug her youngest daughter before pushing her toward the door. "We'll be back in a minute."

Molly disappeared inside with a little wave, leaving Alexis and Ethan alone. He motioned for her to sit down and join him on the bench. "What is it, Alexis?" he finally asked. "There is something you wanted to say to me that obviously couldn't be said in front of Molly."

Alexis covered her mouth with her hand, tears welling in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she apologized tearfully, doing her best to swallow the inevitable sobs that were coming now in waves. "I thought that I had it together enough to talk to you. As you can gather, I'm kind of a mess."

"Nothing is more warranted, trust me," he assured her. "I was on the verge of losing it myself when I found Molly out here. I thought it better to hold things together for her sake than unleash the fit I've been trying not to have all day."

"Yes, well, I appreciate the way you are with her. You've always been so good with my girls – both of them," Alexis praised. "That's why I am out here and why I had Jax call you. Kristina has told me many times of her feelings for you. I have to admit, that while I do think you're a great guy, the age difference has always been a big problem for me. I know it was an issue for you, too. But I've seen the change in you both since the explosion in February. Kristina relies on you more and more, and from what I've seen, the feeling is mutual."

"Your daughter means a great deal to me," he conceded. "Far more than I would have ever thought imaginable when we went through everything last year and probably more than I really wanted." He turned and looked at Alexis then, seeing the same scared look that Kristina got when she was worried. "Life is pretty much on hold at the moment for me. All of my focus is with your daughter. The fact that she called my name kind of tells me what we both already knew. I belong here, with her, for as long as it takes. I'm not going anywhere."

"Dr. Webber told me that Kristina's vital signs approved greatly when you were in with her. I have to believe that she knows you were with her," Alexis told him. "Part of me wants to be this protective mother and keep you away from her. You're a _man_, a married man at that, not at all a boy. But then I know that I have to do what Kristina would want. She'd want you here with her."

Ethan looked down at his ringless finger and held it up for Alexis. "It's only a piece of paper at this point, a way for Maya to pay for school and take care of her sister. She knows that I don't love her. She knows how I feel about Kristina, that I…"

"That you love her," Alexis prompted. "It's okay, I already knew. In fact, I'm pretty sure everyone does. You're kind of late to the game there, Ethan, but what do you expect? You're a Spencer male, and I've seen Luke in action. I just want you to know that you have my daughter's heart. Be careful with it. She's been through a lot, and I have a sinking feeling that even more is to come."


	3. Chapter 3

Ethan was the third person to see Kristina after she came out of surgery. He should know, he counted every minute from when Steven Webber came out to brief the family until he took his rightful place in the uncomfortable green plastic chair stationed by her bedside. Alexis had been the first to go in, taking exactly eighteen minutes to visit with her daughter. Sonny had been there for another twelve after that. Never had a half-hour seemed so long to Ethan, so agonizingly slow to pass by as he waited just to see for himself that she was okay. When it was finally his turn to go in, Ethan nearly ran over a nameless nurse on his way to her room. Now that he was here and had been there for going on seven minutes, he just wanted to relish the blessed sound of Kristina breathing on her own. The surgery had been successful.

Dr. Webber had warned the family that it would be a few hours before Kristina would regain consciousness, and only then would they be able to make further diagnosis. There was still concern about some internal bleeding in her abdomen as well as a small part of her brain that had swollen slightly since the accident. Kristina's family had been very quiet as Steve and Matt explained what they knew, what they needed to know and how all of that impacted their patient. Ethan hadn't really heard much of it. He had only focused on watching Alexis and her reaction. He knew that he would see everything he needed to see in the mother's eyes.

"Hey, Krissy, it's me again," he said softly. "You should see how many people are out there waiting to see how you're doing. Did you ever think your dad could be in the same room as Johnny again without killing him?" Ethan smirked for a moment as he thought about the bitter rivals planted in the same waiting room because of one certain brunette. "We have so much to talk about, but I can't think of a thing to say except one. And I kind of think it'd be better if you were awake to hear me say it for the first time…"

His voice trailed off as he covered his face with his hands. He was tired, more exhausted than he had been in awhile, and he just wanted to crawl into the bed next to her and sleep until they were both ready to wake up. "Part of me, just this tiny piece, doesn't want you to wake up because I don't want you to have to see yourself like this. Even now, I still think you are absolutely gorgeous, the kind of woman sent to earth just to take a man's breath away. But I know you. You won't see the perfection that I see. You'll just see the bruises and the cuts and the swelling and you'll remember." He was quiet for a moment as he reached for her hand. "You'll remember all the bad that came before the good, and I wish more than anything I could make it so that you'd never have to remember that again."

The fact of the matter was that this accident was just another hard thing that Kristina was going to have to endure. Her young life had been hard. She had nearly died as a baby, only to be saved when her own niece couldn't survive. She had been kidnapped by a psychopath mob princess and held hostage for weeks on end. She had survived being beaten by the boy she thought she loved. She had lived through a car explosion set into motion by her own father. She'd made it through a bus crash that left her with hypothermia and without one of her closest friends. She had done all that in her short eighteen years on the planet, and Ethan was damned if he was going to watch as a senseless car accident got the best of her.

He looked up at the observation window and saw Sam dawdling around in the hall. He had already been in there for fifteen minutes, and he knew that there were scores of other people waiting to see her. No one was allowed in to see Brook yet, so that made Kristina's visitors even more numerous. As selfish as he wanted to be, he needed to be equally selfless right now and let others have their time with her. Pressing one last kiss to her forehead, he whispered a promise that he would return and let himself quietly out of Kristina's room.

"Sorry I took so long," he apologized to Sam once the door had clicked shut. Sam waved her hand dismissively. "I just didn't want to leave, you know?"

Sam nodded knowingly. "I've been there in the past with Jason," she lamented. "You want to take all the time you can with them because you think you deserve it, but you know that there are other people out there waiting who love them just as much. And the part that sucks sometimes is that you know that as much as they love you, they love those other people too. They'd want them there."

"Let me guess," Ethan smiled. "Them for you is named Carly, and them is quite loud and demanding when anyone tries to stand in the way of her seeing her best friend."

"Something like that," Sam acknowledged before shifting awkwardly from one foot to the other. Ethan had seen firsthand the power his cousin had on Sam's boyfriend. He knew that it couldn't be easy to see a dynamic like that be shared with anyone when it came to the person that you loved. He wondered for a moment if that was how Maya felt all those weeks ago after the limo explosion when he had been so focused on Kristina. Shrugging it off, he stepped to the side and bid Sam a farewell before heading back toward the waiting room.

Tracey was waiting alone in the corner when he came back to where the families were still gathered. "How is she?" she asked softly before taking a long sip of her hot tea. How anyone had managed to track down a china tea cup at a hospital was beyond him, but even amidst tragedy, Tracey demanded nothing but the best. With sizable diamonds glittering in her ears and an even more substantial ring shining prominently on her left hand, she was every bit the lady of class one would expect her to be.

"Pretty much the same, only breathing on her own," he said softly before leaning back in his chair. Tracey set her cup on the table beside her and reached uncharacteristically beside her to comfort her youngest stepson. Ethan relaxed under her hand on his shoulder. He had been missing his parents, the ones who had raised him all day. It wasn't that Luke wasn't great most of the time. He just didn't really know what to do under these kinds of circumstances. His parents had always been really great at this kind of stuff. Having Tracey there, however unconventional she was most of the time, actually helped. Catching her eye, he nodded slightly and smiled appreciatively. "Thanks…how's Brook?"

"Not much change, not really all that well," she admitted. Tracey played with her wedding ring, twisting it around on her finger absently. "My granddaughter, my only grandchild, is laying in that hospital bed, and there isn't anything I can do about it. We don't even get along most days, but Brook knows how much I love her. I admire her, Ethan, she's so strong. The truth is that she is one of my favorite people, one of the few that I admire outside my father. "

Brook Lynn could be difficult, Ethan knew that, but he also knew how much the two women adored each other. "The two of you might fight like cats and dogs, but I think it's just because you're so much alike. You've both been through a lot but have come out stronger because of it. You are also both fiercely loyal to your family and won't give up without a fight."

Just a few feet away, Nikolas was praying that Brook had that same mentality in whatever metaphysical state she was in right now. Robin and Patrick had briefed them twice since Brook's panel of tests had been completed, but neither of them were able to give any real definite news. They had indicated that there didn't appear to be any brain damage and that her body was still reacting to all the reflex tests as they should. That was a good sign that there wouldn't be any paralysis. Their main concern continued to focus on her throat and vocal chords. Apparently, the shards of glass had done extensive damage. Everyone knew what that could mean, but the last thing they wanted to do was say it out loud.

"I'm going to go back and sit with her for awhile," Nikolas told Tracey as he walked by. Sonny had just come from visiting with her, making the loop after being in with Kristina. The doctors were still adhering to their strict one-visitor-at-a-time policy. "Just come back if you want time with her."

"Thanks, Nikolas," Tracey said softly, patting his hand as he passed by. The two had come to a temporary truce for the time being. Without Ned and Lois in town, these were the two people responsible for her well-being. As much as it killed Tracey to have to compromise, she knew how much the Cassadine prince meant to her granddaughter. If ever it was worth it to bite her tongue, she figured now would be the time.

Robin was checking her vital signs when Nikolas came in. He watched his old friend work from the doorway for a few minutes before coming in. He bent over the bed and kissed Brook's cheek before looking back at the doctor. "How's she doing, Robin? I mean, really?"

She paused from making a notation on the chart. Questions like that always felt like a trap. The family usually wanted to know both the truth and not know the truth at the same time. However, Nikolas was one of her oldest friends, and she couldn't lie to him, not about this. "She is stable, which is good. Patrick is pretty sure that she isn't going to be paralyzed or have any long-term nerve damage. All of her brain activity looks so far, and Monica seemed pleased with all the tests we ran on her heart," Robin explained. "But…you know that the laceration to her throat went pretty deep. The cut is much deeper than we would like to see, particularly for that area. There is some damage there, but until she is conscious and attempting to talk, we won't know just how extensive that is."

"If she can't sing…" Nikolas let the thought drop. Thinking that way wouldn't do Brook any good. She believed in the power of positive thought, and even if Nikolas didn't always get the new age way of thinking, he believed in the power of Brook Lynn Ashton. "I need you to find me the best specialist in the field, Robin. I don't care how much I have to pay, what we have to do. I want them here waiting on standby."

"I've already started to call in some favors for recommendations," she grinned, knowing her friend all too well. He would get Brook Lynn the best care that very ample money could buy. "There is someone in Paris that I worked with while I was there that will probably be able to give me some great feedback. I promise that we will get Brook the best care possible. In the mean time, why don't you talk to her some more? I'm pretty sure she knows you're here."

Nikolas wasn't so sure about that either, but he was happy to sit by her side once Robin left them alone. Ignoring the slice across her throat, he stared instead at her soft curls and closed eyes. Pulling his phone from his pocket, he slid his fingers across the screen gracefully for a few seconds until one of her favorite songs came pouring out of its tiny speakers. Music filled her small hospital room, setting a mood that Brook wasn't present enough to enjoy. This was one of the first songs they had ever danced to and the absolute first one she had put on his phone when she had downloaded a dozen playlists for his listening enjoyment.

"Alright, Songbird, we're just going to listen to the music because I don't really know what else I can do for you right now," Nikolas confessed. Feeling powerless was hard to admit for a prince. "The only other thing I can do is remind you that I love you and my son loves you and we're both here waiting for you to wake up and come home to us."


	4. Chapter 4

It was the middle of the night when Ethan heard stirring from beside him. The rest of the family had long gone home, and he had snuck past a pretty impressive pair of orderlies to hide out in Kristina's room, but he had been determined that she not spend a single night alone in the hospital. He had told only Alexis of his plans to stay with her, not wanting the mother to be surprised if he was somehow arrested for refusing to leave her daughter alone at General Hospital. Although she had furrowed her brow slightly, Alexis told him to just call if he had any problems. Between the Cassadine family and Sonny, Kristina's family had pumped enough money into the hospital to make them let this one small transgression go if anyone should give Ethan any trouble.

The sheets rustled as Kristina tossed and turned in her sleep. Ethan crept from his chair and stood over her, laying his hand gently on her shoulder to try to comfort her. Kristina slowly calmed before her wide eyes popped open. Tears sprung to Ethan's eyes as he gazed down at her, stroking her hair from her forehead as she struggled to sit up. "Take it easy, yeah?" he pled with a small chuckle, kneeling down to lay a kiss on her cheek. Kristina smiled in response and reached for his hand. He could tell that she was struggling to talk. Pouring a small paper cup full of water, he helped her sit up and take a small sip. "Before you ask, you were in an accident. You're at the hospital."

"I recognize the hospital, Ethan," she whispered, her voice still hoarse with more than twenty-four hours of not talking. Her eyes darted around the dim room. There were no flowers or balloons anywhere, which probably meant that she was in the ICU. Ethan wore a paper gown over his street clothes, a mask hanging loosely around his neck. "What happened? How bad is it? Where's Brook?"

"Hey, slow down," he urged her, rubbing her shoulder slightly as he moved back to his chair. He scooted it as closely to the bed as possible so that he didn't have to let go of her for even a moment. "A truck broadsided the car on your side on your way back to your mom's house. It was a little touch and go there for awhile. They had to do some repair to your lung, and there is a little bit of swelling that they are still watching." Kristina reached her hand to her forehead and felt the bandages there before retracing the incision on her ribcage. "Brook still hasn't regained consciousness. She's a few rooms down from you."

Kristina took a deep breath and looked up into his dark eyes. "Is…is she okay?"

Ethan nodded slightly and squeezed her hand with reassurance. "They have every reason to be optimistic that she will make a full recovery," he retorted. "She has a few deep cuts, so they are worried about her vocal chords and voice box. Otherwise, everything appears to be in a good place. Nikolas is flying in a specialist from Europe and another from the West Coast."

"Good," she managed to say before motioning for another drink. Ethan helped her take a longer sip this time. She licked her lips and tried to shake off the dull ache in her parched throat. "Where is my family?"

"It's the middle of the night. I convinced your mom to take Molly and Sam home so that they could all get some rest. Your entire family has been here all day, from your parents to your siblings to Carly and Jason. Even Johnny was here for awhile. You have a lot of people worried about you, Krissy," he revealed. "Other than Sonny and your mom, I'm not sure that anyone was more scared than me. Okay, maybe Molly was pretty shaken up, but it's been rough on all of us. I am sure they will be ecstatic to see that you finally quit being lazy and returned to the land of the living." She smiled widely at his lame attempt at a joke. "Speaking of which, I should probably go get a doctor, huh? I can't believe I didn't already. And I need to call your mother. She made me promise that I would if you woke up."

Kristina tried to convince him to stay, but she knew that it wouldn't do any good. Ethan had already disappeared into the hallway, jogging quickly and shouting out for a doctor. A minute later, an exhausted Matt Hunter came barreling through the door. The grin on his face was a mile wide as he looked at her. "Welcome back, Kristina," he greeted her. "You have some people who couldn't wait to see you. I'm just going to check your vital signs. Try to lay back and relax. I will answer any questions you have once we have gotten things checked out."

"Can Ethan say?" she asked, her voice a panic. Matt nodded and motioned for the Aussie to take up residence in the corner. "Ethan, can you wait to call my mom? I just want to find out what is going on with me before everyone comes rushing in here. My head is kind of spinning. I need to make sense of things."

"I'll give you an hour, and then I am calling your mom," he told her. "Don't argue with me either. I don't really want to endure the wrath of Alexis if she finds out that I didn't call her right away. I've seen her mad. It's not a pretty thing."

She managed to giggle as Matt went to work taking her temperature and checking her blood pressure. Kristina correctly answered a series of questions to check her memory and cognizant awareness. After that, they took twenty minutes going over the damage that had been done on her body. She was eager to get up and move around, but Matt told her that she needed to be off her feet for at least forty-eight hours after the surgery. The best thing she could do for now, he reminded her, was get some rest and try not to worry too much. He told her that he was about to be off but that Steven Webber would be her attending doctor. Matt also told her that she would likely experience increased pain as her medications wore off. He taught her how to use her morphine drip and promised that he would check on her before he left. With the lab techs out for the night and her not in any dire situation, the best they could do was wait for now.

Kristina was quiet until she was alone with Ethan again. "So you have been here this entire time, huh?" she asked uselessly. They both knew that she knew the answer. "I've been saying it for weeks,, and I guess this just proves it. You love me, don't you? I totally knew it!"

Although she was joking, she noted the serious look on Ethan's face immediately. "I do," he admitted softly, caressing her hand protectively in his. Her fingertips brushed over the cool metal of his wedding band. He hated that ring, this white gold symbol of nothingness. "It doesn't matter." He could read her mind as he slid the ring off, handing it over to her. "You're the only one who gets my heart."

It was everything that she had waited to hear for so long but never imagined would come so easily. A stray tear was making its way down his cheek. Kristina reached up and wiped it away with her index finger. "None of those," she insisted before dropping the ring on the tray in front of her. "Now tell me properly so that I can squeal like a school girl. Don't deprive me of my moment."

He laughed at her brazen candor. "I love you, Kristina Adela Corinthos Davis," he professed. "I love everything about you, even the way you're going to squeal like a school girl. I have loved you for a long time, and I will love you for a long time to come. You truly do have my heart – my whole heart."

Kristina didn't squeal at all. She only held his gaze and smiled knowingly, showing the maturity that had come along with life's experiences over the past year. "I love you, too," she told him. "And you have had my whole heart for longer than I've known what it meant to give it to someone."

While Ethan and Kristina were professing their love for one another in a nearby hospital room, Nikolas was still holding watch over Brook. He had talked off and on over the course of several hours, taking breaks whenever anyone wanted to come in to visit with her. Alfred had even brought Spencer from Spoon Island for dinner so that Nikolas could see his son. When Spencer had pleaded to see Brook, Nikolas had slightly lied and told him that she was asleep. The visit would have to wait until the next day, he told his son, and he was starting to wonder if that would prove to be a lie, too.

True to her word, Robin had tracked down an impressive roster of experts that spanned the globe. Based on the recommendations of her old colleague from Paris, they had selected a Swiss doctor currently doing research in Prague and a tenured specialist from UCLA. They were both due to be in town in less than twenty-four hours and had already been extensively briefed by both Patrick and Robin. In the mean time, Robin had told him that all he could do was wait.

Patience had always been something that Nikolas was very good at. Even as a small boy, he had been schooled in the graces of being patient. Things that were both wanted and worth it never came easy. Whether it meant earning a special reward for perfecting his Latin or finally getting Sarah Webber to look his way during his high school years or successfully negotiating a multimillion-dollar business merger, he had used those same skills to remain calm and stoic under the most unlikely circumstances. Only when he had dealt with his brain disorder a few years ago had he been unable to control himself. For much of his life, he had indeed been the perfect picture of restraint.

However, it didn't make it any easier to sit idly by and just watch her without being able to do something to help her. He wanted to save her himself, fix this so that it wouldn't hurt for even one more breath. It was the same helpless feeling he'd felt when Courtney was dying during the outbreak or when Emily was struggling with her breast cancer or when Alexis could barely sit up straight after chemo. He hadn't been able to save Courtney, heal Emily or comfort Alexis. He had only been able to be there for them. As much as he hated it, it was no different with Brook Lynn.

Sitting there, he allowed memories to wash over him. It was a weak way to comfort himself, but it was all that he had at the moment. He thought about their first passionate exchange in his library when he had caught her talking to herself after seeing Elizabeth at the hospital that night. He remembered the picnic they'd had with Spencer on Easter weekend and how she'd run barefoot alongside his son as they hunted for eggs with the rest of the kids from Port Charles. He could see her bronzed skin on the beaches of the Greek Islands when they had gone there during the late summer, how happy she had been at his side as he told her stories about growing up there. There were a tiny million moments that added up to the warmth in his heart whenever he merely thought about her.

Folding his hands in prayer, he bent his head over her body and started to recite words that he hadn't said in years. They were verses and prayers from his childhood, long forgotten but not altogether erased from his memory. He pleaded silently with God at first and then began to implore aloud. Someone passing by would likely think him to be a crazy man and perhaps he was in a way. He didn't really know or care what it looked like anymore. The only thing he cared about was seeing her beautiful eyes again.


	5. Chapter 5

"Nikolas, can we speak with you a moment?"

Looking up from Brook Lynn, Nikolas turned his gaze toward the doorway where Patrick and Robin were standing with Tracey. He leaned down to kiss her forehead and promised that he'd be back soon. It was the next morning, and there still wasn't any sign of her waking up. With two hours of sleep under his belt and six cups of coffee later, Nikolas was hanging in that delicate balance between sanity and completely losing his mind.

He followed Tracey down the hallway toward the private offices sometimes used by board members when they were at the hospital. The Quartermaine matriarch looked as prim as ever but the signs of weariness and exhaustion were there below the surface. Nikolas pulled out a chair for her, earning a thankful but tired smile. He smiled in return and slipped into the seat next to her. Patrick and Robin took the chairs opposite them. For the first time, it felt like more than two of his friends telling him about Brook Lynn's condition. They were the doctors updating the family on the patient's prognosis. It felt cold and disconnected, a far cry from all of the earlier conversations.

"Alright, you insisted that I come down here early this morning so that you could update me," Tracey grumbled. Nikolas smirked privately to himself, knowing full well that she would have been here even earlier had Robin not called her. Tracey had sent Nikolas intermitten emails throughout the night for the latest updates. "What can you tell me about my granddaughter?"

"Unforutnately, not a lot," Patrick admitted. "There isn't any real reason Brook Lynn shouldn't be awake by now. As time goes on, I am growing more concerned. She should have regained consciousness some time during the night. We've continued to monitor her vital signs, and everything appears to be going just as it should. While I am going to recommend doing another MRI so that we can monitor her brain activity, I truly believe that she is progressing normally for her current status."

Nikolas wrinkled his brow in confusion at the conflicting messages. "If she is progressing as she should, then why is she still in a coma? That doesn't seem to make sense to me, Patrick," he pointed out. Sure, the surgeon was the expert, but he was failing to communicate in a way that made sense. "What am I missing here? Is there something you are not telling us?"

Robin looked down at her hands. Nikolas knew then that they were holding something back. "Brook Lynn should be awake by now," she reiterated. "That is the part that has us concerned. While everything else appears normal, the time frame is not. We are still trying to figure out the implications this could have on her recovery. We are going to slowly cut back on her pain medication to see if that induces any sort of stimuli reaction."

"Is she going to be in pain?" Tracey asked. Her voice was soft and vulnerable, a far cry from the usually strong woman that she presented to the world. "I don't want Brook to be in any pain."

Patrick shook his head. "We are going to slowly decrease the meds to see if she reacts at all. If we don't notice any, we will gradually increase it back up just in case. It's possible that her body is still taking time to let itself heal. However, it is also possible that her brain is preventing her from waking up," he said. "In the mean time, her vocal specialists are due to arrive this afternoon. Robin will be working closely with them to get them up to speed on these latest developments. I am going to work with a physical therapist who will care for Brook to prevent her muscles from going into atrophy."

Nikolas nodded once resolutely before standing up. "Tracey, I take it that you would like to visit with Brook this morning?" Tracey told him that she would be there for a few hours. "Alright, I am going to go home to see my son and change my clothes. If there are any changes while I am gone, please call me. I will be back in time to meet with the specialists." He headed for the door before turning around. "If Tracey agrees, I would like to move Brook to a regular room once you think she can. There are some things that aren't allowed back here that I think could actually really help Brook."

"We could probably move her this afternoon since she is in stable condition," Robin offered. "Tracey?"

"Whatever is best for Brook," she consented. "Just make sure that she gets the best of everything. We can certainly afford it. Put our money to good use, Dr. Drake."

Patrick patted her shoulder comfortingly. "I promise to do the best that I can for your granddaughter," he pledged. "Her mother means a lot to my wife, and we will do everything that we can to make sure that she comes out better on the other end. It's not going to be an easy road, but we have every confidence that things are going to work out." He took a breath before looking up at Nikolas. "Your cousin woke up about an hour ago. You might want to check with her before you leave."

"I will," he said before looking over at Tracey. "Please call me if you need anything." With that, he disappeared back toward Brook's room to bid her a brief goodbye. She was as still and silent as she had been when he had left, not that he had really expected much of a change. "I'm going to go check on Kristina and see Spencer. I'll be back soon, I promise. I love you."

The only response back was the steady beat of her heart monitor. Nikolas frowned, biting down hard on his bottom lip to keep from tearing up. With one last look back at his sleeping beauty, he headed over a few rooms to find Alexis sitting next to her daughter's bedside, clutching her hand tightly. "I heard that someone woke up," he called into the room. Kristina's face lit up as Alexis turned around to wave him in. He came over and kissed his cousin's forehead tenderly. "I am so glad to see you sitting up and smiling. How are you feeling?"

"Tired and not all that great, but Matt hooked me up with some really great pain killers," she explained, holding up the button to her morphine drip. "Besides, all things considered, I could be in a lot worse shape. How's Brook Lynn? Any changes?"

The hope in her voice nearly broke his heart. "Unfortunately, no," he told her honestly. "But Robin and Patrick are working hard to make sure that we know everything we need to about her condition. You need to focus on your own recovery for now. Your mom and your sisters were pretty upset, not to mention Ethan."

Her pretty face lit up at the mention of Ethan Lovett. "I know, he told me," she gushed. A slight blush spread over her cheeks, and Nikolas knew that his cousin was done for. Her teenaged crush had transformed into full-blown love. It only made the Cassadine-Spencer tug-of-war that much more interesting.

"For a girl who spent a day in a coma, you sure are cheerful," he teased her. It felt strange that they were talking like this, as if nothing had happened. It almost felt nice to focus on something so silly given the seriousness of everything else right now. "I am going to go home to take a shower and see Spencer for a few hours. Is there anything that I can bring you back? I don't mind running by the house if you guys need something."

"Actually, do you think you could get Molly from school for me?" Alexis asked. "I promised that I would let her come see Kristina this afternoon if she took her math test this morning. I will call the school to give them permission."

"No problem," he promised before hugging his cousin. "I really am glad to see that you are doing better." Kristina smiled as he leaned over to hug Alexis. "I'll see you guys in a few hours with Molly in tow. I might even bring Spencer if they get Brook moved out of ICU."

Once mother and daughter were alone, Alexis took the opportunity to lean back in her seat and just watch her daughter. Her heart was filled with so much joy right now after a long and trying night. "Jax is going to come by after he gets done with a phone call this morning. He was going to come over right away, but I told him I wanted some time alone with my daughter." Ethan wasn't the only Aussie in the Davis' girls lives. Jax had recently admitted to Alexis some very heavy feelings, and Kristina was happy to see her mother so happy with her best friend. "Speaking of which, it nearly took a crowbar to pry Ethan out of here."

Kristina giggled, sounding very much like the eighteen-year-old high school student that she was. "Yeah, he's pretty adamant about being around me a lot right now," she agreed. "Mom, I am so happy. It sounds crazy because all this happened like an hour ago, but it just feels different. I was a whole different person with this whole different life before the accident. I don't know what happened to change everything exactly. It just feels amazing. I am so happy. I'm a little scared that this is a dream and I'm going to wake up. If it is, don't pinch me. I don't want to wake up."

Alexis had to smile at her daughter's somewhat innocent approach to love. She knew that Kristina had been through a lot and knew what it meant to truly care about someone. "Well, my little one, you are awake and this is definitely real life," Alexis assured her. "We are going to have some big conversations once you are back on your feet about your relationship with Ethan. I don't want you to consider even seeing him until the divorce is final. I don't care what that piece of paper says and what he thinks it means. You are still a high school student. I have to lay some ground rules."

Rolling her eyes at her mother, she let out an extended sigh that said that she knew what she was doing. "I know, Mom," she exhaled. The truth was that she didn't really know what to think or do or feel. She just knew that for the first time in a long time, she felt hope.

"Hi, Kristina," Elizabeth Spencer greeted her as she came into the room with a clipboard on her hip. "We're glad to see you awake this morning! I just talked to Dr. Hunter, and he wanted me to do another check of your vital signs. We're also going to get you up to go to the bathroom just as a check. That is the only time you can be on your feet, okay?"

Kristina nodded and held up her arm for Elizabeth to attach the blood pressure cuff. After a few minor tests, Elizabeth slid down the rail on her bed. Kristina slowly swung her legs over the edge of the mattress, holding onto the nurse and her mother for support. The two of them managed to get her out of the bed and halfway across the floor before things fell apart. Kristina caught a glimpse of her reflection just as they were passing by the mirror over the medical sink outside the bathroom.

"Oh, God!" The exclamation came as a shrill cry, and just as her legs were about to give up, she felt a strong pair of arms wrapping around her torso. She fell to the ground in Ethan's embrace, burying her face in his chest as she sobbed. "My face, Ethan!" The words were stunted by her deep breaths. "What happened to my face?"

Ethan wrapped her shaking frame in his arms, stroking her hair and speaking in low and soothing tones. "You are still the most beautiful girl in the world, Krissy," he promised her. She pulled back and peered up at him with hooded eyes of disbelief. "You are absolutely stunning. Every time I look at you, you take my breath away."

"It looks like…"

"I know, I know," he whispered before softly kissing her forehead. "I got you, Krissy, nothing else is going to happen to you. You are so beautiful, Love. You know it and I know it. I just need you to believe me."


	6. Chapter 6

By the time Ethan had managed to get her calmed down and Alexis had helped her with her trip to the bathroom, Kristina was feeling like she had just ran the New York Marathon. To say that her body was exhausted was an understatement, to say the least. She had already been through so much in the handful of hours since she had regained consciousness. Her mother was already insisting that they get her therapist to come in so that they could talk about the incident before. Kristina wasn't entirely sure that she was ready to talk about it, and even when she was, she didn't really know if she wanted to talk to her therapist about it.

For now, she was content to sit in the quietness of her room, holding Ethan's hand and just soaking in the way that he was looking at her. He didn't watch her as if she was a fragile little girl that could be broken by the slightest difficulty. He looked at her as if she was the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, even when she now knew what she looked like. She believed the words that he had said earlier. His wedding band on her table was proof of that. He loved her as much as she loved him. It was kind of an amazing feeling.

"Does my dad know?" she asked suddenly. Her father was terribly protective of his kids but perhaps most of his only daughter. He knew what she went through last year and would do everything in his power to make sure that it was not repeated. While he knew Ethan and was close friends with his father, it didn't mean that he would approve any easier. "My dad is going to kill you and then he is going to kill me for putting him that situation."

Ethan smiled fondly as he watched her freak out just a little. It was one of the most age-appropriate things she had done since she woke up. It comforted him a little to see her worrying about what her dad thought because it let him know that she wasn't in the same dark place she had been in a bit ago. He knew that they would have to deal with the ramifications of her physical appearance. For a girl like Kristina, it was going to be a big thing.

"Your dad knows that I was spending time with you and that we clearly have feelings for each other. I think that while things were going on, he was going to be more open to whatever helped," he explained. "I don't really know how he feels about the rest of it. We don't need to worry about that right now, either. When you're strong enough, we will talk to both of your parents. I am not going to be part of breaking up your family, but I am also willing to do the hard work that it might take to convince them that this is real. I know that things are different right now since you're here. I can be patient for as long as it takes."

A knock at the door broke the intimate conversation up, but Kristina was thrilled to see her favorite cousin peaking through the partially opened door. Nikolas came into the room with Spencer at his side, the little boy running full speed ahead when he spotted her sitting up in bed. "Kristina!" Spencer squealed, running as quickly as his little legs could carry him. Ethan quickly darted out of the way just in time for the little boy to launch himself at Kristina's bedside. She laughed as Ethan helped him up into the chair so that he could see Kristina at eye level.

"Hey, little guy," she laughed. She barely heard Ethan make an excuse to go and promise to leave later. She was already focused on the piece of construction paper Spencer had handed over. Apparently Alfred had helped him make get-well cards for her and Brook Lynn. "If you two aren't some of the most handsome company I've had all day."

"What happened to your face?" Spencer asked innocently. He was far too young to understand what a question like that meant. Kristina shook it off gracefully and shrugged at him. She wasn't sure what Nikolas had told him about Brook. "Does it hurt?"

"Just a little bit," she assured him, even if it felt like someone was punching her from the inside out of her skull. "I was in a little bit of an accident earlier. Thankfully, I have the best doctors, and they have helped me get the best kind of medicine to help me feel better. This card made me feel even better than that, though. Thank you, Spencer, it's beautiful."

Spencer smiled proudly over his shoulder at his father. "See, Daddy! Kristina loves the card just like I told you that she would," he boasted. His hair was dark like Nikolas' but he had the same light eyes of his mother. Nikolas missed Courtney just a little bit every time his son smiled at him. He did his best to tell Spencer about his mom, but he knew that it would never be the same. Even if Nikolas had Laura in his life now, he had grown up with the same kind of ghost for a maternal figure. Unfortunately, Spencer would never get to have his mother. He was glad that his son had Brook to be there for him for now. "I hope Brook likes hers as much as you did!"

Kristina exchanged a concerned look with Nikolas. "I am sure that she will, sweetie," she confirmed, reaching up absently to ruffle his dark locks. The conversation was again interrupted when Jax came in with Molly. Kristina laughed happily when she saw her youngest sister, opening her arms wide to embrace a still-shaken Molly. She had stopped off to see Brook briefly before coming in to visit her sister. Although Nikolas had brought her to the hospital, she had ran into her mother's best friend in the hallway.

"Where's Alexis?" Nikolas asked as he watched the girls talk animatedly with Spencer. He looked up at the Aussie and saw that he had a soft and fond look on his face as he watched Kristina and Molly interact. Although the words had not been said, Nikolas sensed that a wedding was certainly possible for his aunt in the near future. After years of settling at being second-best, he was looking forward to a man who loved her as fully as Jax had for years.

"Diane brought her computer by so that she could check emails. They're getting a quick cup of coffee to give Kristina a little space. I think she's worried about hovering too much," Jax explained without ever taking his eyes off the girls. "I think it's probably a good idea that she's aware that is a distinct possibility. I love your aunt, but we both know how she can be."

"Speaking of Alexis, can you do me a favor?" Nikolas asked. "I'd like to talk to Kristina for a few moments alone. Do you think you can take Molly and Spencer down to see Alexis. It will just be a few minutes."

"Sure," Jax agreed. He came over and kissed Kristina's forehead hello in greeting. "If you don't mind, I am going to take Spencer down to visit his Aunt Alexis. I hear that she has a cookie down in the cafeteria with your name on it."

"Daddy, may I go with Mr. Jacks, please?" he pleaded. Sugar was Spencer's one true weakness. Being polite was one of his many strengths. "I promise that I will have only one and that I will behave."

'You may go," Nikolas permitted. "Molly, can you go with Jax to help keep an eye on him? I want to talk to your sister alone."

Molly looked between her cousin and her sister before noting the sense of urgency in Nikolas' tone. "Sure, come on, Spencer," she announced, reaching for her cousin's hand. Jax followed behind the duo, pulling the door to Kristina's room shut behind him.

Only when they were finally alone did Kristina start to ask questions. It was clear that she didn't know a lot of details about the accident and that she remembered even fewer on her own. Nikolas wasn't sure what had happened exactly and didn't k now what Alexis or her doctors wanted her to know as of yet. However, he knew that his cousin would be dying to know about Brook, and he wanted her to hear the news from him and not some other source. He felt a duty to protect even the gossip that was out there about Brook Lynn, and that needed to start with Kristina, the last person to talk to her while she was still conscious.

"Mom and Ethan won't tell me much," Kristina said once they were alone. "How is Brook doing?"

Nikolas frowned a little as he slipped into the chair by her bedside. "She's still not awake, which is a little worrisome, but everything looks to be okay. They are concerned about her voice. I flew in two specialists who are at the top of their field. It's just a waiting game right now."

"And how are you?"

"I miss my girlfriend," he answered honestly. "But I am glad to have my cousin back."

The two of them visited for awhile longer until Alexis returned with Spencer, Molly and Jax. Nikolas saw Ethan waiting outside and asked his aunt to watch his son so that he could go talk to the youngest Spencer son. "Hey, mate," Ethan greeted him. "How's my step niece?" Ethan was always teasing Brook Lynn about his hiarchial rank, despite their close age. "Any improvement?"

"Not yet," he sighed. Nikolas was tired of having to say that. He wanted a change. "We're still waiting for her to wake up. Man, I am tired of waiting."

"I can only imagine. Well, that's not true. I can actually relate," Ethan commiserated before looking back through the observation window at Kristina. She was giggling with her sister and Spencer while Alexis and Jax watched on happily. He had been in Nikolas' position twenty-four hours. "How are you holding up? I mean, really? Not just the polite answer you give everyone else."

"Really?" Nikolas contemplated aloud. "I am terrified. I am scared out of my mind. I keep wondering how I am going to be strong enough to be the man that she needs me to be when she wakes up. I don't want to have to wipe away her tears when she opens her mouth and finds out that she can't sing. I'm hoping for a miracle but expecting total devastation because I feel like I have to be prepared for this. Music is Brook's everything. It is her life's passion. If she can't sing, God, I don't even want to imagine what that would look like."

Ethan nodded sympathetically. "I knew that there was going to be this moment where Kristina looked in the mirror and saw the bruises. I knew that she was going to have a flashback of being in this hospital for a very different reason, and I was absolutely terrified that she was going to fall apart. My fears were realized," he explained. "But there was one thing that I didn't count on. I didn't factor in the fact that Kristina is strong enough to handle this. It's hard, but she will not let it define her. Have a little faith in your girl, mate. She comes from a pretty hearty stock."

Nikolas knew that Ethan was right. "Thank you," he retorted. "Sincerely, I mean it. You said exactly what I needed to hear right now."

"Anytime," Ethan shrugged. "I'm going to go see Kristina now. She's been watching us out here for the past few minutes. She probably thinks you're grilling me about my intentions."

"Just treat her well. That's all I can ask," Nikolas said. "Well, that and to ask Alexis to hang onto Spencer for a few more minutes. I want to go check on Brook."

"You got it," Ethan said with a wave before heading into Kristina's room.

Nikolas turned on his heal and headed down the hallway. He was surprised when he came into the room to see Brook Lynn not only awake but sitting up. Patrick Drake was at her side, flashing a light in her eyes. Brook became uncooperative when Nikolas came into the room, moving to see around Patrick so that she could see him. Patrick turned around and saw her distraction. "She just woke up moments ago. I was going to come find you."

"You woke up," Nikolas exhaled, covering his mouth for a second before quickly closing the distance between them. Patrick moved to the side as Nikolas wrapped her as best as he could in his arms. Kissing the top of her head, Nikolas allowed the tears to come. Brook smiled at him silently, reaching up with her thumbs to wipe away the wet trail making its way down his cheek. It was then he realized that she hadn't a peep. "Can you talk?"

Brook's eyes went wide before she looked at Patrick. She opened her mouth but no sound came out. Taking a deep breath, she tried again. Finally, a very hoarse whisper came out. "A little," she told him. "Patrick said tube.."

"I explained that the breathing tube would make it hard for her to talk for awhile," Patrick lied. Nikolas looked up at him and grimaced. "She is supposed to save her voice."

Nikolas looked back at Brook's beautiful smiling face and tried to swallow the heartbreak. He leaned down and kissed her fully. Only when they were out of breath did he pull back, only to press his forehead to hers. "Love you, Songbird," he whispered softly so that only she could hear.

Even though it was barely a whisper, Nikolas finally heard the words he had been yearning for since this whole disaster began. "Love you, too."


	7. Chapter 7

"Nikolas."

The single word spoke from her chapped lips was the single most beautiful sound he had heard in recent memories, second perhaps only to the cries of his son when he was born. They had been sitting like this for awhile now, him holding her and trying to avoid the difficult conversation that they needed to have but wouldn't be able to say aloud. Brook Lynn had been given a white board so that she could write things down in an attempt to save her voice. The specialists were looking over her latest tests, and in just a few hours, they would scrub in with Patrick to do an exploratory surgery of her throat. For now, Nikolas was just happy that her eyes were open and that she was going to be okay.

"I need water," she scribbled on the board, tapping its surface to draw Nikolas' attention away from her face. He smiled as he slipped from her bed to pour a cup of water for her. She mouthed her thanks and sighed in appreciation once she got a long drink of the cool liquid before starting to write again. "I'm fine, quit staring."

"I can't help it," he replied. "I missed those beautiful eyes of yours." The line oozed of all the cheesiness of a slime ball in a Vegas casino, but upon the lips of a true prince, it sounded like prose. Brook fluttered her long dark eyelashes when Nikolas returned to her bedside. "Even a day without you was far too long, Songbird. Although, I will say it gave me some time to think."

A questioning look danced in her eyes as she moved the marker over the board. "Any good thoughts?"

Nikolas tapped the side of his nose secretly before breaking out into a wide grin. He rarely kept anything from her these days. She was more than his sounding board; he truly respected her opinion and looked forward to getting her advice. "I am just thinking that we need to firm up some plans I have for the future. We should probably consider making some things a little more permanent, if you are up for it," he suggested casually, as if they were talking about something as trivial as where to go for dinner.

"Sounds good," was her quickly written reply before she dropped the marker on the tray and patted the mattress next to her. Nikolas was careful to arrange her wires appropriately before he climbed onto the bed next to her. Wrapping his arm around her, he allowed Brook to turn into him slightly so that she could rest her head on his chest. "Love you."

Another two whispered words that couldn't have been more perfect. She was peering up at him with these Disney cartoon eyes, looking every bit the fairytale princess worth of his royal love. Everything else told him that they should work together – the way her family didn't exactly approve of their arrangement, her often brash approach in dealing with situations, his barely sane grandmother and about everything else in the world. However, he fit with her in a way that he had never fit with anyone before.

It wasn't this storybook romance like it had been with Emily. They hadn't been built up over years. It wasn't exactly a forbidden romance like it had been when he had cheated with Courtney. There wasn't the Florence Nightingale effect that he had found with Nadine or the second-chance feeling he had felt with Rebecca. There wasn't even a need for comfort and connection like there was with Elizabeth. This was something completely new, a feeling all of their own. It was hard to define, but Nikolas knew that the feeling was deep and it was real.

After their business agreement had gone to the wayside and their connection had become strictly personal, the relationship had taken on a life of its own. The thing that made it different, Nikolas suspected, was that they were true equals. She didn't need anything from him, and he wasn't looking for anything from her. They were together because they wanted to be. She was making a career of her own. Nikolas was comfortable enough to go to business events alone when she couldn't come along. She didn't need for him to save her, and he wasn't looking for redemption in her. She wasn't this experiment in being common or a way for her to be a social climber.

"I love you, too," he finally whispered. "I think that I should probably tell you that Patrick didn't tell you everything. They were waiting for me so that I could tell you. I wish that I didn't have to be the one to break the news, but there isn't anyone else who I'd want to help you get through this." She was looking up at him questioningly, and Nikolas could only kiss her forehead chastely and press on. "Your throat isn't just sore from the tube." He took her hand and guided it up to feel the bandages that lined the column of her neck. "There are some pretty significant cuts there from the windshield. One of them in particular sliced you fairly deeply, and the doctors are concerned about your vocal chords and your voice box."

"Oh, God." The words were a loud, harsh whisper. Nikolas felt her entire body trembling in his arms, and it broke his heart into a million pieces. "I can't sing."

"They don't know much yet, Brook," he tried to remind her, but she was restless now. He knew that she was probably angry at him for keeping this for this long, but he wasn't going to let her pull away. "I have brought in the world's two foremost experts in the field. They are going to go into your surgery with Patrick this afternoon to take a look at everything. We'll know a lot more after that. I have already spoken with your vocal coach about finding the top speech therapist that we can. He also recommended a few people that he knows that specialize specifically with these kinds of injuries for vocalists. Every tool is at your fingertips. I won't stop until you get to sing again."

Even with that, he knew what these kinds of injuries did to singers. "It's bad, isn't it?" she managed to get out. Tears were streaming freely down her face now, rolling over her cheeks and dripping onto her hospital gown. Nikolas could only nod. He wouldn't lie to her now. "Scared."

"Me too," he confessed. "But I have faith in you, Brook. You're more determined than anyone I've ever known to get what you want, except for maybe Luke." His joke earned a gaspy chuckle. "We just have to wait for this surgery and see what they find out."

As Nikolas and Brook waited for surgery, Sonny Corinthos was headed down the hospital hallway to visit his own daughter. She had been awake for most of the day now, visiting with limbs from all branches of her family tree. Now that he had a few business dealings handled, he was ready to focus solely on his daughter and her recovery.

"Sweetheart, you look like you're feeling better."

Kristina looked up from the front page of the _Port Charles Herald_ to find her father leaning in the doorway. He didn't look so much like a mob boss then but more like a concerned father who was clearly relieved after hours of worrying. He wore a weary smile these days, cautiously happy after his wedding to Brenda earlier this year. While they had a rough go of it at first thanks to the Balkan, they were slowly building a happy life together. It was no secret that Kristina adored her stepmother, but it had taken a lot more than that for her to repair her relationship with a father. It was still a day-to-day struggle, and she knew that a significant part of their future hinged on his reaction to her spending time with Ethan.

"Well, I'm awake, so that's a start," she said with a smile. "I don't know if you heard yet or not, but Brook Lynn woke up a bit ago. Dr. Hunter just said that she is going to have an exploratory procedure this afternoon on her throat. I guess Nikolas is in breaking the news right now."

Darkness washed over Sonny's face. His heart went out to the songstress, the only daughter of one his oldest friends. "Well, hopefully they will find out what they need to so that they can start to get to work on her voice," he offered up. What else was there to say in such a situation? "For now, I'm just glad that my daughter is awake. Is there anything we can get you?" 

"I think Mom has that pretty well covered," she replied, gesturing toward the cabinets that were now overflowing with various things from home. He also noticed flowers and balloons scattered around the room since she had been moved out of ICU. His bouquet of lilies and daffodils was the largest by far. "I will tell you one thing that you can do for me, though."

Sonny slipped into the chair next to her bed. "Anything, you just name it."

"Well, you know that I had feelings for Ethan last year, and I thought that they went away after everything that I went through with Keifer, right?" Kristina asked, tucking a strand of dark hair behind her ear nervously. "Well, I think I more repressed the feelings temporarily than got over them. I know that you're not going to like it and Ethan is older than me. But I hope that you will really spend some time getting to know him. It's not just a crush, Dad, I'm sure of it. I know you and Mom will say that I'm too young to know how I feel, but Ethan and I love each other."

It wasn't that he didn't like the young man. It was simply that no one was ever going to be good enough for his daughter. That aside, there were some glaring issues here that he couldn't ignore and that she shouldn't either. "Kristina, honey, you realize that Ethan is still a married man, right?" he reminded her. "All my other feelings aside, he has a wife."

"Like I told Mom, temporary circumstances. He's just helping her out so that they can get the money from Edward," she explained. "Maya needs it to pay for school and to take care of her sister. He told me straight up that he loves me and not her. Maya knows all about this, I guess."

Sonny sincerely doubted it was as easy and simple as his daughter portrayed. "Alright, well, what about what he does for a living? You can't tell me that he makes all his money working at a casino that is rarely open," he countered. "The very things that you hate about me are a very real part of what Ethan does. You know as well as I do that he works for Johnny. He's in the middle of some very dangerous dealings."

Kristina arched her eyebrow at her father. "Are you really going to lecture me on that?"

"No, I don't necessarily have the right, even though I am your father. I just know how angry you have been at me in the past because of the violence and choices in my life," he reminded her. "I am just saying that you didn't like those situations when they were at my hands, and it won't be any different with Ethan." He was trying to be calm, even though he wanted to scream and demand that she stay away from him. "I wanted better for you and your brothers. I've made no secret that I don't want you to follow in my footsteps. If Ethan is the man you choose, eventually you will think about having a family. Your kids will inherit the dangers."

"I hear you, okay?" she retorted. "Anything else?"

"His age has been brought up, and I will say it again. You are young. I'm not saying that you're too young to understand what this all means. You know your heart. I just want you to remember that the choices you make now will impact the rest of your life. Do you really think Ethan will be around to see his commitments through?"

An Australian voice echoed from the doorway. "Do you think I can answer that for myself?"


	8. Chapter 8

Ethan had been standing outside Kristina's door long enough to know that Sonny Corinthos still didn't approve of his feelings for Kristina, not that he could really blame him. All of the things that he said were true. He was older, he was married and he was part of a very dangerous world. It was also true that Kristina hated the violence that surrounded her father, and Ethan had invited that into his life the day that he agreed to work for Johnny. Although his part in the business was nominal these days, he was still a target because of his associations with the Zacharra family.

He supposed that it was somewhat hypocritical of Kristina to love and accept him so easily given the relationship she had with her father. Sonny had been correct in pointing out that some of the things she hated about her father were things she'd have to accept with Ethan. He knew that he was a far cry from the type of man that most parents would choose for their daughters, but that didn't seem to matter in the slightest to Kristina. She had loved and accepted him completely from day one. That was the part that made him know that he would never give up on her, not even with the worst intimidation from Sonny or his not-so-friendly enforcer, Jason.

It was only when he heard Sonny ask, "Do you really think Ethan will be around to see his commitments through?" that he was moved to act. There was a lot more going on in the conversation between father and daughter, but Ethan wasn't about to let Sonny cast doubt on his intentions. Kristina mattered to him in a way that no other woman had before in his life, and age and a marriage seemed trivial by comparison.

"Do you think I can answer that for myself?" he asked as he came into the room. Kristina's face lit up as their eyes met, and Ethan wondered if he could ever draw tired of her reaction. She looked at him as if he was something special, and in her reverie, he could almost believe that he was. "I'd say that we should have this conversation in another place, but I think that Kristina should hear everything that I have to say to you."

Sonny nodded his head in permission. He may not have wanted to deal with the young man, but he was Luke's son. For that reason and perhaps because of the look in Kristina's eyes, he knew that he had to hear him out. He owed both his old friend and his only daughter as much.

"All of your concerns are very real concerns, I will give you that," he told Sonny. "But the thing that you are missing here, the crucial missing piece, is that Kristina isn't the only one who is in love here. I love your daughter more than anything. Yes, I am married, and yes, I am older than her. I can do something about one thing, can't really change the other. Ultimately, it isn't up to you how big of an issue those things are. That is between Kristina and me. I know that certain issues have to be dealt with. I am not foolish or naïve enough to think for even a moment that your daughter should have to settle. The truth is that she deserves much better than me. However, her heart, thank God, settled on me. I am the only person that she wants to be with, and I won't let that pass me by."

"That's all well and good, Ethan, but that doesn't answer any of the questions that I ask."

"I am committed to your daughter completely, Sonny," Ethan said unabashedly. "The truth is that Kristina is already at risk just by being your child. I can't change that any more than you can at this point. I can, however, make sure that I don't add to that danger. I already have plans to talk to Johnny about ending our business relationship. I plan to use all the money that I saved working for him to give to Maya so that we can end our marriage. My dad can get a quick divorce through the Dominican Republic, and that can be taken care of in a matter of days."

Kristina smiled proudly before moving her gaze to her father. "Any other questions?"

"How are you going to support yourself, let alone Kristina?"

"First of all, I think that we are a long way off from me needing to support Kristina. She is still in high school, and I hope that she will see her plans to attend college through," Ethan said, looking first at her and then over at Sonny. "As for taking care of myself, not that it is exactly your business, I am going to talk to Edward. He has been interested in grooming me for ELQ. Though I am not sure he will still want me now that I am not part of the family, it's an honest living. If that's what it takes to keep Kristina, I can push paper for awhile or do whatever Edward needs done there."

Kristina hated the thought of him being cooped up in an office. She knew that he would be unhappy, but it seemed like a sacrifice he was willing to make. "I am sure that Carly could find something around the hotel for him if I ask her," she suggested. "Or he can always get a job working on the docks. They are always looking for help at the shipping yard. Ethan doesn't have to spend his entire life working in the mob. He cares enough to walk away."

That was a low blow, and Ethan wasn't about to play into their game. "It's not going to be that easy, but it seems like it's what needs to be done right now. I know that Alexis has concerns as well. I am open to talking and discussing and explaining as much as I need to so that you can have a good relationship with your daughter. I just won't be used – by either of you – as a way to be angry. I love your daughter; that's not going to change. You can send Jason after me, do whatever you have to do. I'm not afraid to go through any of that. I'm only afraid of losing her."

Meanwhile, just down the hall, Nikolas was preparing to say goodbye to Brook Lynn just before her surgery. Patrick and Robin had been in a few times to prep her and go over a few things they would be looking for. They'd also met with both of the specialists, and Brook seemed pleased by their level of expertise in her particular case. When Robin had told her they'd be taking her back in a few short minutes, she had asked for a few minutes alone with Nikolas. There were a few things that needed to be said.

"Patrick knows that I am going to whisper, so don't even think about getting onto me," she warned him as they sat together in her bed. He was behind her, stroking her arm absently while listening to the sound of her breathy words. "I need you to know that if this doesn't go my way, if I can't sing, you don't need to take care of me. I am going to be just fine. I'll do the work and try my hardest to rehab my voice. But if they decide that this just isn't going to work, you need to accept that. I don't want to be your project, Nikolas. It's going to be hard enough for me without it turning into that."

"I hear you," he whispered, dropping a kiss on top of her head. He knew that it was going to be hard to just accept it, but if that's what she wanted, he'd do it. It was her life that was at stake here, her passion that was being called into question. "I'll do whatever you need."

"And I need you to let me support myself if I find out that my music career isn't going to happen. Whether that means going back to school or working for Edward, I need to know that you're not going to try to save me. I'm not some princess here, you know. I don't need saving."

"So determined," he chuckled in amusement. The truth was that he was proud of her for being so strong and independent. "I'll try to just support you without interfering."

"Good, I've said my peace then," she smiled, looking up at him over her shoulder. "Anything you want to get off your chest before they slice me open and poke around in there?"

"I believe that we are going to get a happy ending, but just in case things don't go our way – yes, our way because you're not in this alone – I want you to know that I am going to do my best to respect your wishes. But, with that said, I won't just walk away and not care. I am always going to try to help you because that's what you do when you love someone. I don't doubt for a second that you wouldn't do the same thing if the situation was reversed."

"I probably would," she acknowledged. "I just don't want to be like every other woman in your life."

"You're far from that," he assured her as Patrick came into the room. Nikolas slipped from the bed and stood nearby as the orderlies moved her from one bed to the next, careful not to bump any of her casts or to disturb the sling holding her arm into place. All the while, he kept his eyes locked firmly on hers. "You're going to be just fine."

"Yup," she smiled. "You're not going to get rid of me that easily." The orderlies arranged the blankets around her while Robin started to go over the medication she would be on and the timeline of the surgery. When everything was in place and ready to go, she turned her face so that Nikolas could kiss her. They exchanged whispered declarations of love before Brook set her face in a determined smile. "Alright, boys, let's rock 'n' roll."

Nikolas stood helplessly by as she was rolled out of sight. He wanted more than anything to be present as they did the surgery just so that he could hear what they had to say. However, he trusted Robin to always be honest with him, and for now, that just had to be enough. Heading back to the waiting room, he was surprised to find Elizabeth and Lucky sitting there. The two of them came over immediately, wrapping their arms around him a supportive embrace. While Elizabeth still didn't approve of Brook and Lucky still struggled with how badly Nikolas betrayed him, they had shown up when he needed someone most. He was even happier when his sister arrived a few seconds later, talking animatedly to and holding the hand of his son.

Spencer spotted his solemn-looking father and came ambling over as quickly as he could manage. Nikolas bent over to meet his son, wrapping him up in a tight hug. "Don't be sad, Daddy," Spencer pleaded with him. "Brook would want us to be happy and positive, remember? She's always telling you to stop being so serious and to smile. Please smile, Daddy, for Brook."

Nikolas closed his eyes as he held Spencer, allowing a smile to overtake his face. His son and Brook, they were what mattered most. She had to be okay because that is what they all needed. She had to be okay because both he and his son had fallen in love with her. She had to be okay because she was the one he wanted to spend the rest of his life with and the one he wanted to be the mother to Spencer and their other children. She had to be okay because she mattered that much to them. She had to be okay because Nikolas wouldn't really accept any other outcome.


	9. Chapter 9

Brook Lynn was vaguely aware of her surroundings as she came out of a foggy haze. She could see the bright lights of the surgical room overhead and could still feel the numbing effects of the anesthesia as it wore off. There were people around her, talking softly as upbeat rock music played in the background. Her throat still felt sore as it had before the procedure, and she really didn't seem to have improved at all. She didn't have a great feeling about this.

"Brook, can you hear me?" She moved her gaze slowly over to Robin, who was standing to her left. The petite doctor was a little fuzzy around the edges as she tried hard to focus. She managed to nod slightly before closing her eyes again. "We are going to take you back down to your room. Patrick is going to administer a sedative to help you sleep. We'll continue to monitor you and come in to talk about our discoveries once you're awake again. Do you understand?" She managed another nod and whispered a quick acknowledgement before she felt her bed on the move again.

Nikolas was waiting just outside her room when Brook was brought back downstairs. The orderlies moved efficiently in transferring her back to her bed. Robin urged him to give her time to rest and asked him if he'd like to grab a quick cup of evening tea with her. He knew that there were things that they needed to tell him, and Robin had been sent in to smooth things over. It frightened him because he didn't want to have to tell Brook Lynn any more bad news. He just wanted this entire nightmare to be over for both of them.

"Robin, you didn't have to distract me," he told her. He was a Cassadine, trained from birth to be unemotional and detached when it came to certain affairs. He was a professional at taking bad news, much practiced after years of devastating events. "I know that they sent you in as the ringer. Just give it to me straight. What did they find out?"

Hugging her cup of tea tightly in her small hands, Robin couldn't find the courage to meet her old friend's eyes. There was a lot going on at the hospital right now, and he seemed to be stuck in the middle of it. Between his girlfriend and his cousin, few people had more invested in the two patients than he did. However, he seemed as cool and calm as ever. Things had been a little bumpy when he'd first arrived, but since then, he'd slipped into his usual approach at dealing with these kinds of things.

"It didn't go as well as we had hoped," she finally admitted. "Patrick had hoped to find that there wasn't any deep tissue damage sustained from the cuts, but unfortunately, he found the opposite. There are two vocal chords that endured extensive damage, one nearly sliced all the way through. I could use all this medical terminology but I won't. I'll just say that it's bad."

"But…?"

"But the specialists that you brought in are the best that are out there. They both feel confident that after quite an extensive surgery, they can use synthetic material and her natural muscle tissue to actually repair both of them," Robin explained. "It's a risky surgery with serious repercussions if it goes wrong. It's really going to be up to Brook Lynn on whether or not to proceed. We've given her a sedative to help her get some sleep. This process is going to be stressful on her."

Nikolas nodded thoughtfully, weighing out the options in his head. "I would like you and Patrick to talk to her, not the specialists. They can be on standby if she has questions, but I think it'll be better coming from people she knows and trusts," he said. "And I think it's best if you tell her alone, without me in the room. This decision needs to be hers and hers alone. I don't want my presence to influence her one way or the other. I love her so much, Robin, and I know that losing her ability to sing would kill her. That said, I can't be there to sway her. She needs to do what is best for her. I can't have her blaming me if it doesn't work out."

Robin reached across the table and patted his hand comfortingly. "While I don't think that Brook Lynn could ever hate you, I will do whatever you need me to do."

"Then can you also explain this to Tracey?" he asked. "I have some things that I would like to take care of before Brook Lynn wakes up." He had this plan in his mind before she went into the surgery, and his resolve was only stronger now that he knew the outcome. "And can you stop by and tell Kristina that Brook came through just fine? I know that she was worried."

Once Robin had agreed to talk to Tracey and Kristina for him, he paid their tab and left with a promise to be back before Brook woke up. It was a quick trip down to the parking garage where his car had been brought so that he could get around Port Charles more easily. It wasn't too often that he drove on his own, preferring the chauffeured car that he had grown up with. A few minutes later, he pulled into a small private parking lot reserved for some of Port Charles Bank's top customers.

"Hello, Mr. Cassadine," a perky and pretty blonde greeted him as soon as he walked in the door. They always knew his name, but he rarely knew theirs. He nodded and smiled politely before walking over to another reception desk to check in. He scanned the lobby and noticed that his usual bank officer, the actual president of the bank, was already occupied with another client. Once the older gentleman noticed him standing there, looking svelte in his dark, very expensive suit, it only took a few minutes for the customer to get ushered out the door and Nikolas to be escorted into the private office.

"What can we do for you, Mr. Cassadine?"

"I'd like to access my vault," he told the man. There were a few private vaults in the bank that belonged only to the richest of Port Charles citizens. Sonny, Edward Quartermaine and Jax were among the few that own rights along with Nikolas. "There is something I need to retrieve."

Gaining access to the vault was typically by appointment only as the bank preferred to have an extra security guard on hand whenever they opened it. Getting through required having one of the top bank officials with you because of the extraneous measures they'd gone through to protect their clients' assets. However, such precautions weren't a hurdle when someone like Nikolas Cassadine was asking for access. In fact, no less than five minutes later, Nikolas was seated in a private room, waiting for some nameless security guard to bring in his requested items. The man promptly delivered the locked box in front of him before pulling the door shut behind him and throwing a deadbolt that could only be unlocked from the inside without a key.

While Nikolas' vault contained antiques and old coins, stacks of money and family documents, there was only one thing that he was after today. Tucked carefully between layers of rich velvet from Russia, he found a small silver box engraved with the Cassadine family crest. His breath caught slightly in his throat. It had been years since the box had even seen the light of day. He opened it up to find a small ring sitting on a bed of blue velvet. The ring was a perfect platinum band with a generous and top quality four-carat, emerald cut diamond. It had been in his family for centuries, last worn by Princess Katarina two generations before his grandparents.

He tucked it into his jacket pocket and thanked the banker before making his way back out to his car. His personal jeweler was standing by and had already been instructed about Kristina's finger size. The ring would be delivered the next morning to the hospital where Nikolas could move onto the next step in his plan. He probably should have been nervous but he wasn't. He was confident and sure that this was the right thing. The one good thing that he knew would come out of this was that he was finally going to marry the woman that he intended to spend the rest of his life with.

The rest of Ethan's life, however, wasn't as clear. He had already endured a line of question from both of Kristina's parents in the past several hours, and now, he was about to make good on his word to end his marriage. Maya was in the middle of a manic split shift and didn't really look like she was up for talking. However, with the way her schedule was and his obligations to Kristina, they didn't really have any other time to meet up.

She was already waiting for him at Kelly's when he showed up, her hair going every which way and her scrubs stained. She was half reading a newspaper and half eating a turkey sandwich all while Spinelli blabbered on in her ear about something. Ethan cleared his throat as he came up to the table to announce his presence, causing the computer hacker to duck sheepishly and turn back towards the counter to visit with Mike.

"Hello, Maya," he greeted her warmly as he slipped into the chair across from her. There had been a time when he had been fond of the blossoming doctor, and he still considered her a good friend. They had a certain kind of chemistry, but that connection had quickly fizzled when their busy schedules had gotten the better of them. She had thrown herself into her work, and in turn, Ethan had thrown himself into his friendship with Kristina. It was too late before either of them realized how that decision had cost them both dearly. "Thanks for meeting me, I know you're busy."

"A girl has to eat," she shrugged. "I assume that this is about the divorce." Ethan nodded his answer. "I've already talked to Edward. He said that he would help me get things taken care of if that's what I want but expressed his disappointment. I told him that you were still part of the Quartermaine family by extension through Tracey and that he could still groom you for ELQ if that's what you choose."

Ethan looked across the table and smiled at his wife. She was generous and kind to a fault. "Thank you," he replied. "I want you to know that I have ended my role in Johnny's business. The money had been kept offshore and hasn't been touched. I am going to turn that over to you in lieu of your payout that you were supposed to get from our marriage."

"Ethan, really, you don't have to do that. I can't take your money."

"It's yours," he assured her. "You are entitled to half of everything I earned while we were married. I'll keep what I earned working at the Haunted Star, and you can have that half. You could use it to pay off school, move out of the Q mansion and take care of your sister."

She thought for a moment, combing her fingers through her curly hair. She was still as beautiful as she was the first day he saw her but seemed much older and mature. They had been through a lot together in a very short time, and it made Ethan a little sad that they would have to part ways. However, his heart was with someone else, and Maya deserved the chance to find a good man who was going to love her like he loved Kristina.

"Well, thank you," she retorted appreciatively. She reached into her pocket and held out the wedding set he had given her all those months ago. "You should take this back. I can't keep it."

He reached into his own coat pocket and handed over his wedding band. She had paid for it with one of her measly checks from the hospital. "You can resell it or melt it down into something else. I don't want your set back either. Make some new jewelry or pawn it. Use the money to do something nice for yourself. Take a trip with your sister."

Maya looked like she was about to argue with him but quickly thought better of it. She glanced down at her watch and caught wind of the time. "Wow, it's that late already?" she sighed before tucking the pair of rings into her oversized tote bag. "I have to get back to the hospital. Mike, can I get my bill?"

"Sure thing, honey," Mike called from behind the counter.

"You go on and get to work; I'll take care of it."

"You sure?"

"Least I can do," he said as he stood up. He tucked her bag onto her shoulder and hugged her briefly. "Thank you for everything, Maya. I really do appreciate it."

"No big deal, right?" she shrugged. "Take care of her, Ethan. She's still young with a pure heart."

"I will," he promised, kissing her on the cheek for the final time. "I'll see you around?"

"It's inevitable," she grinned. "Goodbye, Ethan."

As Ethan watched Maya go, he knew that he was that much closer to being the man that was going to be good enough for Kristina. He had parted ways professionally with Johnny, though the two of them would remain friends. He had effectively ended his marriage and was in the middle of looking for somewhere to live. He knew he'd still have to talk to Edward about possibly working at ELQ or even Carly about getting on staff at the Metrocourt. Everything wasn't quite perfect yet, but it was definitely getting there.


	10. Chapter 10

Three weeks and four surgeries later, Nikolas Cassadine stood behind a wheelchair, watching as Brook Lynn successfully maneuvered herself out of her hospital bed for the last time so that she could finally return home with him to Wyndamere. Appointment after appointment, consultation after consultation, treatment after treatment, she had put in the long hours necessary before she could talk at full volume. Her vocal chords were still healing and would be for weeks. She was instructed not to sing unless she was working with her music therapist, who seemed fully confident that she was headed for a complete recovery. Nikolas had been the first person to get to hear her sing again and the recipient of the first full sentence she said after she woke up from her final surgery. It was then and only then that she finally said, "Yes, of course, I can't wait to marry you, Nikolas."

And now, they were finally going home, back to the dark castle that seemed a lot lighter when she was home. Spencer had been working with Alfred all morning to set up for her welcome home party, a private affair that would be reserved solely for the three of them. In the mean time, her room was bursting with the rest of her family. Brook Lynn had purposely waited until she was ready to go home before she wanted to announce their engagement. Her parents had even flown in from Sydney, though she didn't seem all that excited about having them there.

"Edward, please, calm down!" Lois pleaded, all the while hugging her daughter. Edward was upset that no one from the hospital staff was there to push her out, not that Brook would have wanted it. Nikolas was perfectly happy to do it. It gave him something to focus on so that he didn't have to think about how her great-grandfather was going to react to losing another of his grandchildren to the likes of a Cassadine. "Nikolas is perfectly capable of pushing a wheel chair."

"Daddy, come on, this is supposed to be some kind of a celebration," Tracey sighed, standing next to Luke near the doorway. She wasn't exactly thrilled to see Lois and Ned there either. It seemed just like them to swoop in at the last minute. Lois had tried to fawn over her daughter, and both Brook Lynn and Tracey were not at all interested in the feigned maternal love that seemed to be going around. If she couldn't be bothered before now, Brook wasn't exactly sure why she bothered to show up now. "Brook is finally going home and is actually doing quite well. Just be happy and quit getting belligerent."

Edward looked sharply at his daughter but quietened. "Actually, we have something else to celebrate besides me just going home," Brook announced, looking up over her shoulder at Nikolas.

"Please do not tell me that you are pregnant!" Edward bellowed, earning a surprised gasp from Tracey and wide-eyed stare from Lois. "The last thing this family needs is a Cassadine spawn."

"No, I'm not pregnant. Though, I suppose that's a preview of what I can look forward to some day," Brook Lynn replied tiredly. "Nikolas asked me to marry him. I accepted. Let the chaos commence."

The next several minutes were filled with the usual Quartermaine arguing. Nikolas stood politely and stoically next to Brook's side, listening to Edward rant about how he was going to ruin another of his granddaughter's lives and Lois worry about what was going to happen to Brook's career and Ned threatened emptily if something was to happen to his daughter. Finally, surprisingly, it was Tracey who held up her hand and ended to ridiculously public display.

"Brook is an adult and has made her intentions clear," Tracey announced, looking first at her father and then at her son. She didn't even bother regarding Lois. She had never had use for the loudmouth from Bensonhurst, and today was no different. "I've made no qualms about my opinion of Nikolas in the past, but one thing had become abundantly clear to me over the past few weeks. My granddaughter loves him." She looked at her son. "You weren't here to see it, so you can just keep your opinion to yourself. If it wasn't important enough to show up when she was in a coma, I don't think it's important enough to pipe up now." She carefully moved her gaze over to her father. "She loves him, Daddy. You can accept it and have her in your life, or you can push her away. You know how Brook Lynn is. She's not going to back down from something she wants."

Edward looked at her with all the love in the world evident in his eyes. "Does he really make you happy, Sweetheart?"

Brook Lynn smiled at him affectionately. "More than anything in the world, Grandfather, even singing," she answered as Nikolas reached down to clasp her hand. "I'm not just getting a husband. I get to be a mother to Spencer. He already thinks the world of you, Grandfather, and I have it on pretty good authority that the feeling is mutual. Won't it be fun to have a kid running around the mansion again? It's a chance we haven't had in awhile."

Lost memories of Michael and Jake danced in his head. "Alright," Edward nodded firmly, "you have my blessing."

"Good job, Daddy," Tracey whispered before hugging her father. Edward smiled proudly before puffing his chest out proudly. "And, Nikolas, if you break her heart, I'll make sure you regret it."

"I have no doubt, Tracey," Nikolas replied before rolling Brook out of the room. The family stayed nearby until she was tucked safely in the backseat of the waiting town car. He invited everyone to come out in the morning for brunch and waited patiently as his fiancee said her goodbyes. Fifteen minutes later, they were headed across the harbor toward Spoon Island. Spencer was waiting for them on the other side.

"Brook!" he exclaimed, dancing happily on the docks between Alfred and Mrs. Landsbury. Only when Nikolas was on the stone path leading up toward the house did the little boy take off, launching himself into his father's arms. Nikolas hugged him tightly before setting him down and leading over to greet Brook. He hugged her carefully before grabbing onto her hand. He reached for Nikolas' other hand and walked happily between them toward Wyndamere. "Daddy said I get to be the Bestest Man at the wedding."

"Best Man," Nikolas corrected him with a smile. "Yes, we're even going to get him a new suit."

"Ooh, fancy!" Brook Lynn grinned down at Spencer. "I bet you'll look even more handsome than your father."

The little boy giggled as they came into the house. The study had been transformed with a hand-painted banner, balloons and platters of freshly baked cookies. "Surprise!" Spencer called, turning around in a circle in the middle of the room. "Do you like it?"

"It's perfect," she smiled, looking from father to son. "Absolutely perfect."

"Welcome home," Nikolas whispered, kissing her behind the ear as he helped her onto the couch. The three of them enjoyed cookies and talked animatedly until Brook started to yawn. They eventually settled down in front of the television to one of Spencer's favorite movies. A half-hour later, Brook was asleep on his shoulder and Spencer's head was in his lap. Brook only woke up when Nikolas slipped away to put Spencer down for his nap. She was curled up on the couch when he got back downstairs.

"He down for the count?"

"For awhile, at least," Nikolas smiled. He slipped back next to her, wrapping his arm around her and just enjoying being with her without the sounds of the hospital, constant interruptions from nurses and a very large observation window that prevented them from having any real privacy. "I really am happy that you're home."

"Me too," she replied. "This is home now, you know? You, Spencer, you guys are my family."

Nikolas looked at her fondly, leaning over to kiss her forehead. "And you're ours."

They were married two months later in front of a packed cathedral in New York City, halfway between both their worlds. Spencer and Lucky stood up with Nikolas, and Brook Lynn could barely keep herself together long enough to say her vows. Later, at the reception, everyone agrees that they are like a fairytale. Nikolas dances with Tracey and promises to take good care of her only grandchild. Brook Lynn laughs as Spencer steps all over her toes nearby. And just before they leave for their honeymoon with Spencer in tow because Brook can't imagine being away from him for even a week, she sings in public for the first time to her new husband. There's not a single dry eye in the house when she sings the final words of a power rendition of "Till There Was You."

Kristina was one of those crying from her table, Ethan's arm wrapped around her as she dabbed at her eyes with a monogrammed napkin. She had stood up with Brook Lynn and still looked beautiful in her deep crimson bridesmaid dress. Ethan had whispered in her ear later that it was sinful how she outshone the bride at her own wedding. Kristina had only smiled devilishly and reminded him that he would be rewarded for that later.

It had been an interesting few months for the two of them. It had taken quite awhile before her parents had come to accept Ethan, and there were still days where she was sure her father was two steps away from killing him. Sonny made sure that they came over for regular family dinners, questioning Ethan relentlessly until she stole her boyfriend away with some feigned excuse about doing homework at home. Alexis was only slightly less intimidating, though she had relaxed a little after she had seen Kristina's perfect grade card last month.

Her siblings were a little more supportive for their part. Sam made sure to invite Ethan around to her house for a dinner here and there, wanting to put in the effort to include him in family things since he would probably be around for some time to come. Molly worshiped the ground that he walked on and was still wrapped up in the romanticism of it all. Michael still thought that he was a little old for his younger sister but knew that he didn't have room to talk given the difference between in Abby. It was just different when the younger counterpart in a relationship was his little sister.

They're dancing when Sonny asked to cut in, beaming like a proud father. She laughed and giggled as he told her how beautiful she looked and watched as Ethan swept Carly effortlessly across the floor. "I'm really proud of you," Sonny told Kristina. He still seems so amazed that she turned out so well. "You've come so far since the accident and since last year. I have to admit it. Ethan has been good for you."

"Yes, he has," she agreed proudly, stopping to clap as the music ended. Sonny wished her a good evening before heading off to find Michael. Ethan is soon back at her side. "You and Carly looked quite good out there."

"She's a good dancer," he retorted with a shrug. "But I had a better teacher." The tease is a reminder of the classes that she had given him in the weeks leading up to the ceremony. "Speaking of which, does this mean no more lessons?"

"You keep teaching me poker, I'll teach you to dance," she replied with a giggle. It was an arrangement they made the week she came home from the hospital, just a few days before she found out that she got into Yale. She would head there next fall, and Ethan had already found a job nearby. Although Edward had wanted to groom him and Carly had generously offered him a job at the hotel, he had actually ended up finding something else he loved. While he would always be a Spencer and appreciate a good heist, his heart was a little more tethered to the ground.

Ethan is there when they take off the casts the next week and then again a few weeks later when they finally let her get off the crutches. They celebrate by taking a long but slow walk in the park, stopping to taste all the different flavors of early summer. They end up in the gazebo at Rice Park, resting on a bench while butterflies float through the air and flowers bloom nearby. Ethan hands her a little box, this tiny square black velvet thing that makes her breath catch and her throat go dry.

"Ethan...um...yeah," she stutters nervously. "I can't even open this."

He laughs and shakes his head. "No, it's not that."

"Oh," she replies, sounding almost disappointed for a moment before brightening. "Well, good."

"But someday," he promises her, reaching over to kiss her forehead. "When you're done kicking ass at Yale and you're ready to put up with me for the rest of your life."

"I got that part down already," she promises before opening the box. She finds a silver locket inside, their initials engraved on the front and the date of the accident – their official anniversary, she decided – on the back. "Oh, Ethan, this is beautiful."

"Just a little token to celebrate."

And so they do, finishing their walk and then heading back to the lake house for dinner with Molly and her mom. She is surprised to find Jax there as well, along with her brother and father. Sam and an uncomfortable Jason are there, him only looking happy when Carly comes over with Josslyn to distract him from a surprisingly present Edward, Tracey and Luke. Even Brook Lynn is there with Nikolas and Spencer, looking fresh and tan after a month-long vacation in Bora Bora. And later, when everyone else is gone and Kristina walks Ethan out to his car to say goodnight, he holds her for a moment longer than usual and whispers, "Someday," to her one more time again.

_**Fin.**_


End file.
